Some European islands are well-known homes of hedonistic frolicking, others are the sandy-and-silent type. But all give you a sunny and salty slice of life you simply won't stumble across on the mainland. Just in time for summer, here are some of the best European island escapes.

In my work trying to make the small Channel Island of Guernsey the best place to live on earth by 2020, I am meeting a lot of other people who are making an impact, yet are underserved by the communities they live in.

Among a wide range of potential harms, scientists have found that high-powered Navy sonar disrupts blue whale feeding, halting their deep-foraging dives, displacing them from krill patches, and silencing their calls.